Volume One Chapter One Eavesdropping

“Jingyan, where’s your precious little girl?”

In the steam-filled hot spring pool, the flirtatious voice of Lu Jingyan’s friend echoed teasingly.

Fu Yuting’s lips curled in a faint smile as she prepared to walk around the artificial hill. In the next moment, Lu Jingyan’s lazy voice floated through the mist.

“She’s throwing a tantrum. Didn’t come today.”

The smile froze on Fu Yuting’s lips. Her mind went blank with a sudden buzzing.

She hadn’t quarreled with him. Could it be that the “little girl” they mentioned wasn’t her?

Laughter erupted from the hot spring pool.

“Well, she’s been sneaking after you for so long. You’re getting engaged to Fu Yuting tomorrow. How could she not feel upset?”

Through the cracks in the artificial hill, Fu Yuting gazed at her fiancé of five years, Lu Jingyan.

The soft haze of steam swirled around him. He wore only a bath towel and reclined lazily by the pool’s edge, a faint smile at his lips. “She’s more sensible than Fu Yuting. Just coax her and she’ll be fine.”

Fu Yuting’s fingers gripped the jagged rock tightly, her fingertips pale from the pressure, her long lashes trembling uncontrollably.

Lu Jingyan… had cheated?

For five years, they worked at the same company, lived together after work. Why had she never noticed anything?

“Coaxing isn’t enough. You’ve already had your way with her. Shouldn’t you give her a proper status?” someone prodded maliciously.

Lu Jingyan reached out and took a glass of red wine from the floating board, swirling it idly between his fingers. “Once the inheritance transfer from the Fu family is settled, I’ll break up with Fu Yuting.”

Fu Yuting’s breath caught. She stared in disbelief at the man she had loved for five years.

He had always been gentle, considerate, a perfect gentleman. His attentive care made her friends envious. Within their circle, he was praised as devoted and faithful—a rare, perfect boyfriend.

Though they had shared a bed for so long, he never went further. She had even purposely slipped into his arms in only a bath towel. He just gazed at her tenderly and coaxed, “Baby, I can’t bear to touch you. Let’s wait until we’re married, okay?”

She had once naively believed his love was deep and steadfast, that only someone truly devoted could be so restrained.

But he had been keeping another woman all along.

A week ago, Lu Jingyan claimed the company’s finances were in trouble and asked her to transfer her parents’ company to his name to help out.

The two were to be engaged the next day. Fu Yuting suspected nothing and quickly arranged for a lawyer, but the transfer was stuck at the final stage.

She never imagined it was all a ploy for Lu Jingyan to steal the Fu family inheritance.

“Jingyan, after five years with Fu Yuting, you never felt anything for her?”

Lu Jingyan’s eyes were half-closed, his tone cold. “No. She’s just a tool for me to make money.”

…

Fu Yuting wished she were drunk and hallucinating, but Lu Jingyan’s icy words pierced her ears, stabbing her heart like a dagger and twisting mercilessly until she bled.

Covering her mouth, the taste of blood rose in her throat. Using her last shred of reason, she bowed her head to send a trembling text:

[Jingyan, I drank too much. I’m heading home.]

She couldn’t bear to listen further. She stumbled away, legs weak, fleeing in a daze.

Back at the villa they shared, the cozy home she had lovingly furnished now felt like a prison.

Empty and cold, suffocating, like needles against her back.

She curled up under the blanket, eyes closed, but her thoughts spun uncontrollably, replaying every memory over the years.

When had their relationship begun to rot?

Who was the woman he’d cheated with?

She didn’t know how much time had passed in her haze when suddenly, chaotic footsteps echoed in the hallway—

“Your period’s gone, no need for protection, right?”

Under the dim corridor light, Lu Jingyan’s deep voice was thick with desire. He lifted a sultry woman into his arms, kissing her as he walked toward the master bedroom.

On the bed, Fu Yuting heard the increasing sounds of passion drawing closer, and instinctively held her breath.

The woman’s gasping voice came from nearby: “Jingyan, you’re getting engaged tomorrow. What if Sister Ting finds us?”

Lu Jingyan’s charming eyes flickered with disdain. “Once she’s drunk, she sleeps like a dead pig. What are you afraid of?”

With that, Lu Jingyan lifted his foot and kicked the supposedly “sleeping” Fu Yuting on the bed, motioning to Xu Qian with a casual lift of his chin, his tone dismissive and certain.

Fu Yuting’s breath seized, the sharp pain in her ankle made her whole body tremble. In her mind, something taut snapped.

She swallowed the taste of blood rising in her throat, buried her face in the pillow, keeping her breathing light and slow, determined not to be discovered as pretending to sleep.

She had thought he might not return tonight—he often stayed out after drinking with friends.

But she never expected her fiancé, on the eve of their engagement, would come home with a woman she could never have imagined.

Xu Qian!

It was Xu Qian!

Fu Yuting’s eyes reddened, fury and humiliation crawling up her spine. She pinched her thigh to resist the urge to sit up and confront them.

Five years of love and devotion, yet in Lu Jingyan’s eyes, she was worthless. Worse, he had long been entangled with Xu Qian behind her back.

He could have chosen anyone—why Xu Qian?

Xu Qian had been a poor student her mother sponsored. After her mother passed, Fu Yuting continued to support Xu Qian, even bringing her into the company and mentoring her, helping her rise to creative director at a young age.

Whenever Xu Qian asked, whether for studies, life, or work, Fu Yuting provided the best financial and resource support.

All these years, she treated Xu Qian like a real sister.

The sound of a zipper being pulled echoed. Xu Qian’s voice quivered with panic. “Not here—let’s go to my place. If she finds out, it’ll be awful.”

Then Lu Jingyan’s words struck Fu Yuting like a thunderbolt, leaving her frozen.

“She’s as dumb as a pig. How could she find out? If she was really so smart, would she not know that her parents’ accident was all our doing?

First we pushed her into the abyss, then pretended to save her. She became utterly loyal to me, doing whatever I wanted. Tell me, what brains does she have?”

“That’s true. If her parents hadn’t died, she wouldn’t have clung to me, nor passed on all her company experience and connections,” Xu Qian replied, her voice dripping with smug delight.

Fu Yuting clutched the edge of the blanket, eyes wide with disbelief, her whole body trembling from shock and hatred.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She bit her lip hard, blood flooding her mouth, refusing to make a sound.

Xu Qian spoke again:

“So when will you break up with her?”

Lu Jingyan lifted her in his arms, his voice lazy and magnetic. “She’s worked hard for the company these years, landing quite a few projects. When she finishes the last one, I’ll kick her out.

Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange you. Once the transfer goes through, I’ll change her parents’ company to your name.”

Xu Qian giggled shyly, pointing at Fu Yuting’s silhouette. “Then, Jingyan, I want to do it on her bed with you.”

Lu Jingyan traced her lips indulgently. “Whatever you want, little temptress.”